DHAKA, — The Parliamentary Division of the Federal National Council, FNC, participated on Friday in the meeting of the Gender Partnership Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)’s Executive Committee in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

The meeting is part of activities of the 136th IPU Assembly which will take place between 1st and 5th April in Dhaka.

The UAE Parliamentary group was represented by Ali Jassim, FNC member and Arab Group Representative in the IPU Executive Committee.

The meeting reviewed the progress in implementation of the IPU’s plan of action for increasing the engagement of women in IPU bodies and in the political and parliamentary life across the world.

The meeting agreed to raise women’s participation in the IPU institutions to 40 percent from 30.

IPU statistics show that women MPs stood at 30.9 percent worldwide against 22 percent at national parliaments. Women have made significant progress of 19 percent at the helm of parliaments, according to statistics.

Women’s participation in political life reached 28 percent in Americas, 26 percent in Europe, 23 percent in Africa, 19 percent in Asia and 18 percent in the Arab World.

Twelve parliaments have 40 percent participation of women while women have no presence in four parliaments.

The statistics indicated that there were 17 women who were either heads of state or heads of government. Women’s participation in governments accounted for 18 percent while they have no role in 13 governments.

Women dominate the portfolio of environment, taking 30 percent of total ministries worldwide.

Jassim said the figures underscored the need to continue working and monitoring of women’s progress so as to increase their engagement in political and parliamentary life.

The Gender Partnership Group was set up to establish genuine collaboration between men and women MPs as they work together for democracy. It is made up of two men and two women members of our Executive Committee. The group’s task is to guarantee that the interests and visions of male and female MPs are taken into account equally in all our activities and decisions.

The group oversees and initiates gender reform within the organisation, which has now a formal policy to mainstream gender into all their work.

While more women than ever are being elected to parliaments around the world, equality is still a long way off and current progress is far too slow. Most parliaments are still heavily male-dominated, and some have no women MPs at all. Even where women are present in greater numbers, glass ceilings often remain firmly in place, according to IPU.

IPU encourages female MPs to work together to strengthen their political impact, both within IPU and in their own countries. Female MPs working together can achieve greater equality, and help change laws and policies.